Furniture-caster.



NrrnD errar THEODORE DOLL, OF ORA. SPRINGS, IOWA.

FURNITURE-CASTER.

Application mea July e',

Specification of Letters latent. Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

1911. Serial No. 637,181.-

ToI LZZ 'whom it may concern: A

, Be it known that I, Tnnooonn Dont., citi-4r zenof the United States, residing at Nora Springs, in the county of Floyd and -State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furniture-Casters, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto improvementsl in furniture casters of the class whereim provision is made for withdrawing the caster when not in use, and has for one of its objects to simplify and improve the construction and increase the eiiciency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the actuating mechanism is concealed from view so that the attachment does44 not present any dii'erent appearance from an ordinary caster. Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the caster is automatically disposed in operative position by merely lifting the article of furniture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain `novel features of construction as hereafter shown' and descrihd and then specifically pointed out in theclaims.

The improved device ma Y be applied to any othe various articles ci furniture upon which casters are employed., such. as tables, chairs, desks, conclues,` pianos, organs, bed- ,steads and the like, and it is not desired therefore to limit the invention to any specific article of furniture to which it may be applied, or to. any specific forinof the caster. Y

40 For the purpose of illustration the improved deviceis shown applied to a conventional table'leg, and in the drawings thus employed: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a'conventional table leg with the improve- '45 ment' applied; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 -2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. lillust-rating a modification in the construction; y

The'table leg' is represented convention* i '50 lly at A10 and 1s provided with a relatively large'cavity indicated'at 11 in its lower end, the cavity being referably lined with a metal casing 12.. c he casing 12 will be preferably employed as thestrength of the deisathereby materially increased, butI it will be understood that the 'casing is not an essential feature of the invention. When the casing is employed the operating mechanism and the caster supports will be attached to the casing, and in the drawings are shown thus arranged.

Extendingtransversely within the casing 12 is a shaft 13 upon'which the caster Jframe 14 of approved design, is mounted to rotate vertically, and provided with the usual caster wheel 16 the caster being swiveled at 15. vProjecting upwardly from the caster frame is a shank 17 having a stop collar 18 intermediate its ends and surrounded by a sliding collar or sleeve 19 between the stop collar and the shaft ,13. A. spring 20 is connected to the sliding sleeve 19 at one end and with the other end connected to the casing 12, and projecting from the casing 12 is a rod 21 against whichrthe spring 20 holds the shank 17 normally in its vertical osition as shown inffull lines in Fig. 1. ounted to4 swing at 22l to the casing 12 is an arm having an aperture through which thepper end'cf the shank 17 projects when the arm is in its downward posi# tion, the arm being' maintained yieldably in spring 25. y

The table leg 10 is provided with a longitudinal' bore through which a rod 26 extends and is pivoted at its lower end at 27 to the arm 23 and is provided at its upper end with a lateral extension 28 which extends through a vertical slot 29 in the leg 10. The outer end ofthe extension 28 projects to' a its downward position by a relatively heavy suicient extent beyond the outer surface of 'i the leg to enableit to be employed as a meansfor forcing the rod 2G upwardly. A spring 30 is arranged to bear downward v upon the rod 26 andmaintain it in its downward position and thus assist the spring 25. Surrounding the stop rod 21 is a sleeve 31 slidahle. upon the rod and bearing at its inner end constantly against the shank 17 of the caster wheel frame. Pivoted at 32, is an elbow lever 33, the latter pivoted at 34 at one end to the rod 26 and pivoted-at 35 at its other end 4to a lug or projection 36 eX- Vtending from the sleeve 31. The elbow lever is formed with a slotwhere the pivot 32 passes througlnwhile'the lugl36 is likewise slotted-'to permit the necessary play orf ilo . sition it is only necessary to elevate the arwhen the shank 17 is arranged in its upward position and engaged by the arm the caster will be maintainedin its downward or projected position and thus support the table upon the caster, the casters thus operating in the ordinary manner when the article oi furniture is moved from place to place. Vhen it is desired to withdraw the casters the operator moves the rod :'26 by means of the projection 2S thus elevating the arm 23 free from the upper end of the shank 17 and thus release the latter. This same upward movement of the rod 26 actu ates the elbow lever 33 and forces the sleeve 31 inwardly against the shank 17 and throws the latter over beyond the center ot gravity and against the resistance of the spring 20, which movement will cause the weight of the table to throw the caster upwardly into its inoperative position and entirely withinthe casing 12 and enable the table to hear directly upon the floor, the asters thus becoming inoperative. Each of the casters will be actuated in the same manner, as will be understood. sired to restore the casters to operative poticle ot' furniture slightly, when the reaction of the spring 2O will immediately throw the shanks 17 into their vertical position and engage them, again with the arms 23 and thus automatically set i the casters in their operative position. i

In Fig. 3, a slight modification of the construction is shown consisting in dispensai ingrr with the rod 26 and the projection 28 and employing a shorter rod 37 which is projected in a downward and outwardly inclined position and provided with a push button 38 at its outer end, the latter operating` in a small cavity 39 in the table le@ l0 near the bottom. rlhe sleeve 31 is connected to the rod 37 by a pivoted link 40 so that when the rod 37 is pushed inwardly by pressure applied to the button 88, the arm 23 will be elevated in the same manner as by the device shown in Fig. 1 and at the same time the sleeve 31 is moved inwardly to throw the shank 17 over to a suiiicient eX- tcnt to permit the Weight of the article of furniture to cause the Withdrawal of the casters. The operation of the two forms is substantially the same and the results produced are precisely the same, as Will be obs' vious.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be manufactured of any suitable material, and any suitable size, and readily adaptable, without material structural changes, to dierent articles of urniturc, and is applicable to any of the Various forms of casters now in use.

1What l claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a frame carrying a caster and mounted n y locking device, a spring connecied to i virl Willen it is de- Aarticle of furniture, a fr.

to swing and adapted to be attached to an article of furniture, a locking device ein gaging said frame, a` spring conne .ed to said frame and exerting its force to maintain the same with the caster yieldablv in 7'.. projected position, and means 'tor releasing said locking device.

2. A device ot' the class'described con'ipri ing a frame carrying a casier and mounted to swing and adapted to be attached to an fia article of furniture, a locking' device en.2f.ging,r said frame, means for releasing said locking device, a spring connected to i t frame and exertingl fort-.e to maintai saine with its caster yieldably in proj d to position, and means operative by the lot zreleasing means for moving said traine against the resistance of said sp 3. A device of the class describen ing a frame f :arrying a sa., (sr-sail" mounted to swingr and adapted to if to an article oit furniture,l a inciting? gaging said frame, means for re' s' frame and Aexerting its :torce to main, the same with its caster yieldably jected position, a member movable said fra1ne,'and connecting,` i, the loclnrelcasinr means and the movable member.

et. A device of the class described connaris ing a frame carrying,r a caste." and nennt-ed to swing and adapted to be ati-c article of furniture, a shanit from said frame, lockingv device said shank, a spring; eorniectf and exerting its torce to maint with its. caster in projected i against which s: id shank i slidable upon said stop, meats rch said locking device, and connecting-j .i between the lock'releasing means sleeve.

5. A device of the class dezcribed compi ing a .trame carrying caster and a to be attached to an article of locking' device arranged to engr trame, an opeiaitingl rod connected locking device, a member movabie said frame, and connecting means he said rod and movable member, said cont ing means being arranged to mor pendently o1" the rod to per th means to be released in adva ment of the movable merrily.

6. A device .of the clase ined f' ing a casingadapted to be eonr projecting shank and carrying; a movably connected to said device swinging from said gaging said shank, a said shank and o3; *frame with its caster shank, and connecting means between said rod and said movable member.

Y movably connected to said casing, a locklng 7. A device of the class described comprising a casing adapted to be connected to an article of furniture, a frame including a projecting shank andcarryin-g a caster and i movably connected to said casing, a locking device swinging from said casing and engaging said shank, a stop within said casing, a spring connected to said shank and operating to maintain said shank yieldably against said stop, an'operating rod connected to said looking device, a member movable against said shank, and connecting means between saidrod and said movable member.

8. A device of the class described comprising a casing adapted to bel connected to an article of furniture, a frame including a projecting shank and carrying a castel,1 and device swinging upon said casing and engaging said shank, a stop within said casing, a collar slidable upon said shank, a spring connected between said collar and casing and operating to hold said shank against said stop and to hold the caster in projected position, an operating rod connected' to said locking device, a member ase 3 mov able against said shank, and connecting means between said rod and said movable member.

9. A device of the class described comprising -a casing adapted to be connected to an article of furniture, a frame including a projecting shank and carrying a caster and movably connected to said casing, a locking' device swinging upon said casing and engaging said shank, an operating rod `connected to said locking device, a stop within said casing a collar slidable upon saidshank, a spring connected between said collar and casing and operating to hold said shank against said stop and to hold the caster in projected position, able on said` stop, and connect-lng means between said sleeve and rod,'said connecting means being arranged to move independ ently of the rod to permit the locking means to be released in advance of the movement of the movable member.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE DOLL. [1.. 5.]

, Witnesses:

KAnoLlNF. B. DOLL, j LUELLA MOODY.

a sleeve slid- 

